This place is a paradise!

We were relaxing near the lake in the center of the crater. I call it a crater but it’s unrecognizable as a crater. A circular lake in the center and a lush jungle around it. Raishin noted that it looked like a big green donut and I agree.

It seems that only Jyno, Elliana and I could see all the spirits here. Raishin and Leefa were messing around in the lake. Greg was staying safe on dry land and reading. I needed to get into the lake because the large leyline current was the densest on the bottom of the lake.

Elliana didn’t allow me to go in until after the next episode of my spirit leaving my body. Nobody can fish me out if that happens while I’m diving down. So, I’m just resting under a tree and trying to mend my spirit tethers.

“You look exhausted.”

I’m mending my spirit tethers. It’s extremely exhausting.

“Will you have enough stamina to dive after this?”

I have a Phoenix Flower; I will be fine.

“Do you mind if I read your research after you’ve finished? The Seorwynn family is supposed to be very close with spirits but it’s getting less and less with each generation. My sister can’t even see spirits…” We looked at how Leefa was messing around in the lake and not noticing the water spirits around her.

Why aren’t you actually a spirit mage?

“At first it was because I couldn’t find a spirit that suited me but the older I got… the more I disagreed with the spirit contract.” Elliana said as she sat down next to me.

If you find a medium spirit. Just talk to it. They are friendly. I had many spirits help me even though there was nothing in it for them. They all had to return to the spirit world…

“But elves ‘enslave’ them why should they talk to me?”

Well, it’s not exact slavery but well I’d say just talk to them. You might not be successful the first try but you will be successful eventually.

Raishin and Leefa had caught a big fish but it was fiercely fighting back. It was splashing around and the splashes were flying toward Greg who was freaking out.

Well, I’ve written this in the research but making a spirit vessel is going to be extremely hard if not impossible without a 9t. I can leave a basic spirit vessel behind for you but there will still be some difficult steps that you need to execute to get your spirit in it.

“I appreciate it thank you. Do you think creating spirit vessels like these will become impossible without spirit foxes?”

I don’t know. You will have to pick up this research after me to find out. And then you will have to study mana runes and magic circles and alchemy. I suppose this field becomes harder and harder the more it gets picked up by others.

“Hmm, it might be late but do you mind If I observe?”

I don’t mind, most steps are boring, just ask Jyno. Hmm where is he actually?

We looked around but we didn’t see Jyno.

Right, I think I know where this is going.

I took out a Phoenix Flower and inhaled it’s pollen and restored my stamina.

Nilah, we might have company.

Nilah, who was in her katana form turned to her fox form. Both of us used [Eternal Winter].

I felt Jyno’s magic signature and a very big one. It also absorbed a familiar energy that I had started to hate; divine energy.

I sighed. Right, Elliana, go tell Greg and Raishin we have divine activity. I’m going to save Jyno. Nilah, sword.

I readied [Iai: Nilah] as I teleported to where I located the god.

“Ah! You must be responsible for this ice! I’m…”

I released [Iai: Nilah] and cut him in 9 pieces and freed Jyno who was bound in [Shadow Tendrils]. I remembered the scene of my dream. It wasn't the same but similar enough.

Oh, hell no! you’re not killing Jyno!

The god reformed as black tendrils pieced him together. It looked quite disturbing. I had no time for this minor god’s bullshit. I already knew what he wants. Something something Biian said and capture us. I threw Nilah at him.

“Hey! Let me at least…”

Nilah pierced his chest and used a full powered [Kryokym].

“Aaagh!”

I wasn't as powerful as the one we hit Zack with but this should hurt. I was ready for a follow up but the god had disappeared. Nilah turned into her fox form and looked around just as confused as I was. Did he [Shadow Meld]? The floor was covered in frost so that shouldn’t be possible. I also didn’t see a pillar of dark shoot up. How did he escape? He even erased all his mana and energy.

That is strange. Are you ok Jyno?

“I am now… I’m sorry for getting caught…”

Don’t worry about it not much you can do against a god, we need to be careful he might still be around…

“Didn’t you kill it?”

God’s don’t die so easily.

“Did you forget that snake god that you sent after me?”

Exceptions don’t make the rule.

I wanted to keep looking but my spirit left my body. Is this what he was waiting for?

Greg, Raishin, Elliana and Leefa arrived but the god was gone. What a coward.

Where is that god?

“I’m trying to tell Agnis that he killed it but he won’t believe me!”

My intuition isn’t picking up anything. He might be dead yeah; do you feel anything Greg?

I don’t feel anything.

He used dark and shadow magic like you, do you have any tricks to disappear and wipe out all trace of being present?

Well yes, we have but that doesn’t work against you. I don’t feel anything that could be related to an escape. I think you killed him…

Yeah! The god that I killed died super easily too!

“You guys have fought gods? Oh, Silver Torrent you have to fight me now!” Leefa drew her sword. How battle crazy is this chick?

“Stop being so insensitive Leefa, they don’t do this by choice it’s a tricky subject for them.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Hmm so he died eh. That works for me. Gods will revive sooner or later after all, unless they get hit by abyss magic. So only snake god is gone permanently. Come here Nilah! You did a good job!

Nilah ran over and I petted her. She was in her small fox size now. I cancelled [Eternal Winter] and I got up.

Since I just had a blackout, I can dive now.

I dove down into the lake and tapped into the large leyline current and condensed the energy. I had never attempted to condense the energy but this was surprisingly easy. I trapped it in frost capsules. Since I don’t know how much I need I will continue until I get tired.

Elliana and Jyno dove down and tried to retrieve me. They probably thought I had gotten a blackout which was my cue to resurface.

So, on a scale of 1 to 10 how fucked are we when we return to the village?

“I don’t think Bywen will be that upset. My father and the elders though…”

But we have been stuck in there for so long! This feels like a vacation even though it was short.

I think I can think clearer now I have stepped outside. I think this was beneficial to all of us.

Yeah! Agnis even killed a minor god! Now we’re all in the god killing club!

Not sure this is something to boast about, it will just make things worse eventually.

And that’s why we need to get strong enough to kick their asses or annoying enough that they don’t want to deal with us!

That is your goal, eh? Just becoming a pain in the ass to fight so that even gods, who might be way stronger than you, don’t bother fighting you?

I think it’s the only correct answer. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, if your strength is straight forward everyone and their grandmother will want a piece of you, look at the battle crazy elf there!

Elliana and Leefa were fighting again. I was considering giving her an unpleasant experience fighting me but I don’t have the time for this and my blackouts are a problem. It might be wise to return to the elven village before another minor god appears. We might have gotten lucky and only encountered the pushovers. The demi-god I fought with Thalia and Toxic Donkey was way stronger than this one.

We eventually returned to the village and we got chewed out. It wasn’t as bad as I thought though. Bywen had prepared them properly. It was just to remind us that it could have ended up way worse. We felt like kids again getting scolded by those way older than us.

And then Leefa had to blurt out that I had killed a god and we got more scolding. This put Elliana in a foul mood. I have never seen her like this. No matter what stupid shit Raishin did or how many pranks I pulled on her she always had a pleasant and composed aura.

Only with Leefa it seemed to change a bit. I was curious but I would just wait until she would start talking about it.

I went back to finishing Ichor Pneuma and as promised, Elliana was observing. Jyno was working out. The incident with that god was eating at him. I don’t blame him but I don’t think working out will help but who knows maybe one day he will punch a god to death. Elves aren’t known for having favorable matchups against gods though.

I took out some leyline energy that had been crystallized. It looked like a clear crystal but it had a slight red tint to it.

“Is this also a step that needs a spirit fox?”

I assume Elliana was continuing the conversation we had near the lake.

It isn’t. I think crystalized mana also works but I prefer this option. Anyone can learn Dragonvein theoretically. It is just easier if you’re a tailed beast or can see the flow of leyline energy. Else you will have to be very good in calculating or predicting the flow by feeling it out. It’s not impossible but something many races will struggle with. I think elves might have an edge in this because of your inherent connection with nature.

“I see, are those crystals safe?”

Oh yeah.

I handed one to Elliana and started crushing crystals into powder. I had to be careful because it could release all the energy which I didn’t need. I don’t want to blow up another house. Maybe they’re not so safe after all… Let’s not tell Elliana this.

I carefully dissolved the crystal powder into the incomplete Ichor Pneuma.

“Oh, I can feel how special that substance is from here.”

Elliana was right, the Ichor Pneuma gave off a strange energy, it wasn’t unpleasant or intimidating. It felt… special. Does this mean I succeeded? I tried different concentrations and methods on other samples. Most failed. Just simply dissolve it eh?

The final stretch. My tails had already created various versions of [Spirt Anchors]. Some needed a sample of Bywen’s spirit tether.

Time to visit Bywen, you’re of the Seorwynn family so you can join me, right?

“I need permission from my grandfather…”

The guy that never shows his face? What’s up with that actually?

“He is still wounded from a battle he had before the Great Eraser. No healing skill works and he doesn’t like showing his scars.”

Hmm the curse of immortality, eh? He could at least send us a message. But there’s no harm if he won’t notice. Let’s go!

“I’m not so sure about this…”

Just blame me. Let’s go!

I took all my stuff, grabbed Elliana and teleported inside Bywen’s space.

Sup Bywen! I brought someone!

“I still need to personally scold you Agnis, and that is a face I haven’t seen in almost a century, how are you Elliana?”

“Uhh, I am doing fine. I’m sorry for intruding on your space.” Elliana said while acting all polite and boring.

Stop being so stiff, Bywen is cool, besides when she wants to lock me up in the village of course.

“I have told you before that I regard everyone in this village as my children, you are no exception. There is no need to be so formal with me.”

“Oh, I will try.”

Right, I need a sample of your spirit tether and I need you to test this Ichor Pneuma out. If it is compatible with you, which it should, then I can create spirit bones and apply a spirit anchor on it. I will have finally finished everything needed for the body.

“That is good news but how are you? How are your blackouts?”

Eh? I still have enough time to finish this, don’t worry.

“Elliana?”

“He is getting them more frequently. It is not interfering with his work, yet, but I would like to ask you to have the elders be a bit more corporative. I am not noticing that they are really helping him, they are just not hindering his progress, same with Gregory.” Elliana was still acting stiff, she looked like a soldier reporting to her general or something.

“Thank you. I will relay this to the elders. I am ready to test the Ichor Pneuma.”

Ok, just put a branch in this jar, I will dip a spirit tether of yours into this.

Bywen dipped a branch in the Ichor Pneuma and not much seemed to happen. The spirit tether however…

“Oh, this is so energizing!” The spirit tether was greedily sucking up the Ichor Pneuma. The tethers got deeper blue and the broken tethers were repairing rapidly.

Uhh, I did not expect that to happen.

“Do you have more?”

Yes, I have more than enough. I take it that this is a success. I didn’t expect you to suck it all up. I only expected you to extract the energy out of it. Maybe this is why spirit bones are also so important. This was an eye opener, thank you Bywen!

I was about to leave with Elliana.

“Hold on there, Agnis. Aren’t you conveniently forgetting something?” I checked myself but I still had my body.

“Sit down, I need to have a word with you. Do you mind Elliana? I will also tell the elders that you are allowed to visit me whenever.” Elliana nodded and left.

Bywen gave me a piece of her mind. I got conflicted when she got a blackout but I brought her back so she could continue scolding me.

I returned home after getting scolded for 2 hours. Bywen has the mother persona down almost perfectly. This village will be fine with her in charge. I was exhausted though and I collapsed on the couch.

“Did you fail?” Jyno was doing some strange exercises and sweating buckets.

Go shower, you stink. And I succeeded but I got scolded for leaving the village.

“Ah that is good news. I think I will shower yeah. Make sure to rest up”

I looked at the empty jar. It had a piece of Bywen’s spirit tether. I made a shadow clone and had it dissolve the spirit tether in the good batch of Ichor Pneuma.

I looked at my left arm. The time has come to part with it. I wonder how Jyno is going to react to this. I don’t think there is any way I can convince him that I need to cut off my arm. Might as well do it while he’s not here.